The British Government is trying to rescue the 74 British nationals that remain in the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is in quarantine after the coronavirus outbreak.
Specifically, BBC reported that the Foreign Office is organizing a flight back to the UK for British nationals.
The ship was in quarantine by February 3 and is planned to evacuate all the passengers within the next two to three days.
Steve Abel, son of Mr and Mrs Abel, from Woodford Halse in Northamptonshire, reported to BBC Breakfast that his father had emailed him on Tuesday morning to tell him they had both tested positive and were being taken to hospital. Yet, his father shared a Facebook post suggesting that they were being taken to a hostel instead.
Another British passenger onboard the vessel, Elain Spencer, expressed her disappointment about UK government’s response, commenting that they should have organized a rescue flight sooner.
She added that those who wanted to take a flight to the UK had to sign an agreement agreeing to go into quarantine for 14 days on their return to the UK. Then, she received a note from the Foreign Office which told them that if they didn’t get on the flight, it was unlikely they would be allowed out of Japan.
The US has already repatriated more than 300 of its citizens from the vessel.
BBC further notes that as from Monday, in the UK a total of 4,501 people have been tested for coronavirus. The majority have been confirmed negative, only nine are positive.
Concluding, the Foreign Office stated that
Given the conditions on board, we are working to organise a flight back to the UK for British nationals on the Diamond Princess as soon as possible … Our staff are contacting British nationals on board to make the necessary arrangements. We urge all those who have not yet responded to get in touch immediately.
